Sopan's father is leading a battalion of 1,000 men undertaking anti-Naxal operations in the Rajnandgaon district of the state and he rarely gets to meet him. Sandeep Khosla commands the 29th battalion of the paramilitary that is based in this district.

"I was not expecting this result. I expected 97 or so but this result has really excited me," Sopan said.

He, however, misses the presence of his father.

"I get to meet him only once in three-four months when he comes home. Throughout his career, he has been posted in difficult areas like Jammu and Kashmir and those affected by Naxal violence. He was very excited when I told him about the result. I miss my father's presence and guidance at times," he said.

Sopan is a student of Delhi Public School (DPS) in Jabalpur, a city in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.